japan

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy was greeted warmly when she arrived in Tokyo last year. But the region, overshadowed by conflicts in the rest of the world, is facing troubles. Gwen Ifill sat down with Kennedy to discuss ongoing territorial disputes with China, the status of the President Obama’s pivot to Asia and the existential threat of nuclear weapons in North Korea. Continue reading →

In our news wrap Tuesday, Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah declared he won a runoff election. Preliminary results claiming former finance minister Ashraf Ghani won 56 percent of the vote, but Abdullah claimed that that was due to widespread fraud. Also, a powerful typhoon hit southern Japan, knocking out power to thousands. Continue reading →

During a visit to Japan, President Obama observed traditions and technological innovations, while negotiators worked behind the scenes on a proposed trade pact. While the president vowed protection for Japan, the allies remain divided on a few key issues. Judy Woodruff talks to Mike Mochizuki of The George Washington University and Sheila Smith of the Council on Foreign Relations. Continue reading →

TOKYO — As trade negotiators struggled to overcome their differences, President Barack Obama on Thursday rejected suggestions that an Asia-Pacific trade deal is in danger and urged the U.S. and Japan to take bold steps to complete an agreement that … Continue reading →

President Obama’s four-nation Asia tour marks a policy shift toward the continent, which has been overshadowed by international concerns in the Middle East, and now the Ukraine crisis. Gwen Ifill talks to former State Department Official Kurt Campbell and Michael Auslin of the American Enterprise Institute about the purpose behind the president’s trip. Continue reading →

President Obama made Tokyo his first stop on tour of Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. The trip is the latest step in a stated policy shift toward Asia and away from a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gwen Ifill reports. Continue reading →

TOKYO — President Barack Obama on Wednesday opened a four-country Asia tour aimed at reassuring allies in the region that the U.S. remains a committed economic, military and political partner that can serve as a counterweight to China’s growing influence. … Continue reading →

Voters in southwest Florida’s 19th congressional district head to the polls Tuesday to elect candidates to replace resigned Republican Rep. Trey Radel. Radel, the freshman member who was caught buying cocaine in Washington, D.C., the first member of Congress to hold that dubious distinction. The primary, which will likely decide Radel’s replacement because of its heavy Republican tilt, has been called one of the nastiest in the region’s history. With a whopping $4 million spent on TV ads, the race between state establishment candidates and a moneyed outsider is also shining a light on the shadowy world of super PACs. Continue reading →